A 45-year-old woman, Abeleje Oluwatoyin Ilori, has been remanded in the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre over allegations of defrauding Philip Ayodele Owoju, head of Ekiti State’s Peace Corps, of ₦3 million.
Owoju, an appointee of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, accused Ilori of obtaining the money under false pretenses.
Ilori was arraigned on September 15, 2025, before the Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, where police prosecutors alleged that she committed the offense between December 2023 and January 2024.
The prosecution claimed fingerprint evidence, a confessional statement, and Owoju’s identification tied her to the crime, violating the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act 2006.
In her statement, Ilori denied the allegations, insisting the money was a loan between friends. “Sometime in December 2023 and January 2024, I obtained a loan of three million naira from one Philip Ayodele Owoju. But it’s not true that I threatened to kill him; he is my close friend,” she said.
She also denied claims of hiring thugs to trail or intimidate Owoju, stating, “I didn’t hire any thug to monitor his movement or do him any harm. I don’t know any thug.”
Multiple sources suggest Ilori’s ordeal is rooted in politics, not fraud. They described her as a philanthropist funding widow support schemes and women empowerment projects, alleging the money in question was used for that purpose.
Her association with Kayode Ojo, a political rival of Governor Oyebanji, reportedly triggered her problem with Owoju. Ilori had accompanied Ojo to Abuja to submit his APC nomination and expression of interest form and was photographed with Isaac Fayose, a vocal critic of Oyebanji.
CSP Marcus Ogundola, Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Ekiti, who allegedly ordered Ilori’s arrest, has faced accusations of spearheading politically motivated clampdowns against Ojo’s supporters. “He is Oyebanji’s tool for harassing and intimidating anyone who doesn’t fall in line,” a source alleged. Ogundola’s conduct has sparked public outcry, with residents petitioning the Police Service Commission (PSC) over his alleged “egregious misconduct,” including extortion, harassment, and abuse of power.
The petitioner urged the PSC to probe Ogundola and his deputy, Officer Ogidan Tola, stressing that their conduct has eroded public trust in the police. “These actions are a clear breach of the trust and responsibility placed in them as law enforcement officers,” the petition reads. Obadofin suggested redeploying Ogundola and Tola to the North-East to fight Boko Haram instead of “preying on defenceless civilians” in Ekiti.
